Author Topic: AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3 (Read 1020 times)
clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« on: May 03, 2004, 04:40:05 AM »
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GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
.. "MINDS ARE LIKE PARACHUTES,
.. THEY ONLY WORK WHEN OPEN."
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When Words Fail--Let Music Speak
clayMaine-iac
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Clay's Maine Squeeze
AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2004, 04:43:18 AM »
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ON TO THE NEWS:
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Posted on Sat, May. 01, 2004
Really bad songs
A funny thing happens when the words "best" and "worst" are applied to something as personal as musical taste. People get worked up. That's why we asked Eagle readers to respond to our April 24 editorial "Worst? Songs resonate, irritate," an examination of Blender magazine's "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs... Ever."
Here's a sampling. Respondents' identities have been left vague to protect the innocent (especially those who love, love, LOVE "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken).
Una: "The worst song ever? 'Macarena.' I just want to shoot myself!"
Sweetie07789: The worst, "Milkshake" by Kelis, and "anything Weird Al." The best (editor's note: brace yourself),"Anything on Clay Aiken's CD 'Measure of a Man'... 'When Doves Cry' (Clay Aiken's version), 'All About Love' (Steve something or other), 'Build Me Up Buttercup,"Hello' remix (sung by 'American Idol 2' finalists), 'When I Need You' (as sung by Clay Aiken), 'Kyrie' (sung by Mr. Aiken), 'Solitaire' (as sung by Mr. Aiken), 'The Girl Is Mine' (as sung by Mr. Aiken and Ruben Studdard -- cringe)."
Sara: The best, "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel. "I think that 'wordless chorus' carries a lot of power... we are able, as listeners, to insert any of our own goals, dreams and optimism into that chorus, to fill in our own meanings. Thus it becomes meaningful for everyone because we are participating in its crafting each time we listen -- though it's over 30 years old."
Reepicheep: The worst, "That song by Paul McCartney that basically goes: 'I love you, I love you, I love you....' I'm not a big fan of repetition and unoriginality."
Anthony: "In my opinion, the worst song is 'What's Up?' by Four Non-Blondes. The best is 'Sir Duke' by Stevie Wonder. In my mom's opinion, the worst is 'Lovin' You' by Minnie Riperton, and the best is 'Lean On Me' by Bill Withers.
"But there are many others that should be on a list of some sort. Here's more of the worst: 'The Power,' Snap; 'Pump Up the Jam,' Technotronic; 'Indian Outlaw,' Tim McGraw; 'Her Strut,' Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; 'Yeah!' Usher, featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris; 'Piano Man,' Billy Joel; 'It's My Party,' Lesley Gore; 'The Point of Know Return,' Kansas; '2 Legit 2 Quit,' M.C. Hammer; and'... Baby One More Time,' Britney Spears...."
KANSAS.COM
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2004, 04:46:30 AM »
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Quote
Worth the wait?
Music fans say no to online ticket buying, yes to camping for concerts
GENESEE COUNTY
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, May 02, 2004
By Chad Swiatecki
cswiatecki@flintjournal.com, 810.766.6237
While souls heartier than ours began camping out last month for seats to two summer Clay Aiken shows at the Clio Area Amphitheater -- and while onlookers watched with bemused curiosity as the crowd grew -- we couldn't help but wonder why.
Not to dismiss Aiken as an artist, but our high school memories of camping out at box offices the night before tickets went on sale makes the convenience of pointing and clicking for concert tickets much more appealing.
No sleeping in shifts or fighting with friends over Fruit Roll-Ups. No searching for a bathroom at 3 a.m. or dealing with the consequences when you can't find one.
Dororthy Kester knows these trials. Die-hard "Claymates" determined to see the crooner up close, Kester and her sister, Angela Anderson -- armed with a tent, air mattress, two blankets and a cooler -- staked out the prime spot and waited.
For four days.
"I was dehydrated, sunburned, cold, hungry and there were two stretches of 30 hours where I didn't sleep," Kester recounted, almost gleefully, of the wait that ended with third-row seats for both August shows.
"By the end I was too tired to celebrate, but I'm still getting over waiting 96 hours. We worked hard to get these tickets."
Which raises a point. Fans of the Clio venue have made a yearly ritual of camping out the Friday night before the season's tickets go on sale, despite blocks of tickets being available online at the same time.
Aiken's popularity magnified the practice and turned the venue into a de facto Clay convention, making us wonder if the campers gathered more to prove their fervor than anything else.
"Some people just really like it, and I had people bummed about the idea of not camping out when tickets became available online," said Jessica Pearce, marketing director for the Clio venue. "I kept hearing people say they haven't done this since they were teenagers and I think some people will always prefer camping, no matter what."
And we'll continue to be confused.
MLIVE
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When Words Fail--Let Music Speak
clayMaine-iac
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Clay's Maine Squeeze
AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2004, 04:51:04 AM »
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CLAY, CLAY, CLAY
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Nation's finest potters in town today
SANFORD - Some of the country's most accomplished potters will gather here today for the third annual Sanford Pottery Festival, North Carolina's largest such event in a state famous for its pottery.
Clay artists will come from as far north as Wisconsin and as far south as Georgia to the invitation-only show. Jim Spires of Winesburg, Ohio, whose work is in collections worldwide, will be the featured potter.
In his travels around the world, Spires absorbs bits and pieces of the local culture, delves into its past and translates it in his clay works. His glaze combinations and textural effects called "chatter" are key to Spires' recent success with collectors nationally. His application of commercial glazes with other mixtures produce second and third generation colors from the chemical blends at maturing temperatures in the kiln. Each piece is one of a kind.
Festival founder/director Don Hudson, co-owner of D.K. Clay in Sanford, said, "Our explicit goal is to create an unrivaled selection of pottery made by a group of craftsmen and artists who will benefit from close exposure to each other, their work and their ways of working.
"Our festival attracts some of the best pottery artists in North Carolina and beyond. Our goal is to shape the future of our state's most celebrated art form.
"We clearly have the advantage of location, a great selection of potters and the momentum produced by a compelling cause that is important across the state," Hudson said.
He was referring to the event's support of education in the visual arts. Since inception of the event, more than $60,000 has been given to arts programs in Lee County schools and within organizations serving children, such as the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA.
Festival participants are asked to donate a piece of their finest pottery. About half - work considered the most impressive and/or imaginative - will be sold at auction. The rest is assigned to a booth operated by teachers who ultimately receive the proceeds for use in the classroom.
Festival preview is set for 9 to 11 a.m. today, with general admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours on Sunday are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the auction begins. Admission to the preview is $10; all other times, admission is $5.
This year, everyone who registers will be eligible for a $5,000 cash drawing.
Another one-of-a-kind feature of this weekend's event is a "Clay Masterpiece," a face jug of North Carolina's Clay Aiken, a singer discovered by national audiences when he appeared on American Idol.
The piece was created by Sanford potter Kenneth Neilsen and brick sculptor Miriam Stack of Sanford General Shale plant.
Tickets will be sold for $1 throughout the festival. A drawing will determine the winner.
Food will be available on site. Vendors from across the region will sell everything from Greek and Italian dishes to ice cream concoctions, popcorn and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
The festival itself will operate several booths offering an array of embroidered and screened T-shirts and sweatshirts, heavy-duty art totes and posters.
SNAFORD HERALD
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clayMaine-iac
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Clay's Maine Squeeze
AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2004, 04:54:48 AM »
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GO TO THIS LINK FOR "THE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS" RECAP.
THERE IS A NICE STORY AND SOME GREAT PICTURES:
CLAYBROADCAST
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Clay "is" the "News"
When Words Fail--Let Music Speak
clayMaine-iac
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Clay's Maine Squeeze
AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2004, 04:59:29 AM »
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HERE'S A REVIEW FOR JOSH GROBAN. LOOK WHO JUST HAPPENS TO GET MENTIONED:
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Getting 'Closer' to Josh Groban
Singing sensation Josh Groban performs at the Kansas Coliseum on Thursday, a stop on his first solo tour.
BY CHRIS SHULL
The Wichita Eagle
He's young. He's gorgeous. He's talented.
He's got fan clubs and groupies, online forums, two official Web sites and a handful of unofficial ones.
No, we're not talking about Orlando Bloom or Brad Pitt or Clay Aiken. We're talking about Josh Groban, a 23-year-old singer your momma could love -- and probably does.
Groban is not a rock star; he's not even country. He's schmaltzy, for Groban's sake, and he's sold millions of albums singing the kind of sugary, symphonic pop that touches hearts and eases minds and sends your favorite aunt into paroxysms of joy.
And he's singing at the Kansas Coliseum on Thursday, backed by a full orchestra and chorus organized by Wichita Grand Opera.
So who is this guy, so young and tousle-headed, who's not quite opera and not quite Michael Bolton? Why do legions of fans, calling themselves Grobanites, follow his every move and phrase on blogs and in Internet chat rooms?
Here are a few answers and anecdotes from Groban's fairy-tale career.
Cinderella story -- Groban's big break came in 1999 when he was 17 and was asked to fill in for singer Andrea Bocelli at a rehearsal for the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles. His duet partner for the run-through was, um, CELINE DION, and they nailed the hit duet "The Prayer."
Rosie O'Donnell was in the hall at the time, heard him sing, invited him on her television talk show, and a star was born.
Real talent -- Groban is not just some lucky hack. He's taken voice lessons for years and still has an eye toward a Broadway career. In fact, it was his voice teacher who introduced him to the influential songwriter and producer David Foster, who has helmed Groban's career.
L.A. Story -- Groban was born on Feb. 27, 1981, in Los Angeles. He first sang in his school choir in seventh grade, then stopped when he changed schools. It wasn't until he started acting in school musicals that the showbiz bug bit. He's had serious training at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Top o' the charts -- In addition to Dion, Groban has sung duets with Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church. His debut album was released in November, 2001; he followed with a live album and DVD in 2002 and the CD "Closer" in 2003.
Groban embarked on his first solo tour in January. He will reportedly sing a duet on the soundtrack to the soon-to-be released film "Troy," starring Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt.
Remember them? They're dreamy, too.
KANSAS.COM
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 3
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2004, 05:04:58 AM »
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Quote
This Week's Hits: Five for Fighting, Pink
From James Maguire,
Your Guide to Top 40/Pop.
Dancing in the streets
5/3/04
The song stuck in my head this week is Hoobastank's "The Reason," the rock ballad with a melody that won't quit. When lead singer Doug Robb sings along with himself on the chorus, it's hard not to nod along. Cool tune.
And have you heard the Beastie Boys' latest, "Ch-Check It Out"? The boyz still have the stuff.
On the other hand, the track by D12, featuring Eminem, "My Band" is a real step down by the rapper. Kinda stupid and kinda boring, actually. I'm still waiting for him to top "Without Me."
Same thing with Beyonce's "Naughty Girl." There's something strange about the production of the tune. It's so over produced it's hard to really hear Beyonce, who's an powerhouse vocalist. But "Naughty Girl" just aims for the lowest common denominator pop-shlock thing.
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And, while I'm handing out pans, the Black Eyed Peas "Hey Mama" is a disappointment after the group's gorgeous "Where Is the Love?" After the vocal harmonies of "Where Is the Love?" the new tune sounds like "hey, let's get in the studio before they forget us" -- but they forget to get a good song.
On the other hand, the song "100 Years" has a grip on me, despite my better efforts to resist. (You may have heard the lyric: "Fifteen there's still time for you..") The Five for Fighting song wears its emotions on its sleeve -- all weepy and poignant -- but the lead vocal just sells it, bypassing all brain attempts to safeguard against cheap emotion. And I'm not alone in digging the song. It came out of nowhere to hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
That means, yes, the band has pushed both Josh Groban and Sheryl Crow out of the #1 spot. That took some doing.
Okay, guess how many albums Usher -- whose Confessions is still the bestselling CD -- has sold. If you guessed three million, you're right.
But still, while counting all his royalties, he must give an admiring glance at Prince. Yeah, that guy from the '80's. He never went away, he just kept funkin' as rap and grunge and everything else took over. Now, his newest CD, Musicology, has debuted at #3 on album charts. He's back.
Pink, the pop songstresses who puts a snarl into every smile, has landed the perfect movie role. She's going to play rock icon Janis Joplin in a bio-pic, The Gospel According to Janis. Pink will sing all the vocals for the movie, her first time on screen. Yeah, I can see it, Pink as Janis. She's raw enough, if anyone is, and she'll bring a fresh edge to the story.
Christina Aguilera has decided to "just say no" to her planned spring concert tour. The 28-city tour, scheduled to launch on May 13th, was scrapped because of Aguilera's throat condition. Her doctors told her to rest her voice to allow it to recover (don't professional singers know how to sing so they don't damage their voice?).
Aguilera's had planned to bring rapper Chingy on tour with her, in place of last's year's concert mate Justin Timberlake. Timberlake, now basking in the glory of his Super Bowl contretemps, is apparently on to greener pastures.
Elvis, who never really fades away but just keeps re-issuing, will be at it again this summer. Or, actually his record label will. Included in the releases is Elvis at Sun, which captures a very young rocker just after he walked into Sam Phillips little recording studio. What's amazing is that the discs still sell.
Speaking of Southern boys who keep on selling, guess who's going on a solo tour this summer. Yup, Clay Aiken kicks off his tour in early July, living on the road for 28 concerts through October. He's bringing his sound to the people. Stay tuned--
About poll: Who is totally happening -- this week?
Choices: Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Five for Fighting, Eminem, Beyonce, Hoobastank, Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera, Clay Aiken, Prince.
TOP 40
